Huge games live up to hype. Derek Carr has 'James Harden' audible. Sean Payton trolls Falcons. Here's our Week 11 NFL breakdown.
Jim Reineking
If you bunkered in for the 10-plus hours of pro football action on Sunday, you were properly entertained. Week 11's high-octane matchups lived up to the hype.
Colts-Packers and Titans-Ravens had to be settled in overtime. Chiefs-Raiders was decided on a last-minute, game-winning drive orchestrated by Patrick Mahomes.
The wins by the Colts and Titans sets up a huge showdown for AFC South supremacy in Indianapolis on Sunday.
Continuing to look ahead, Thanksgiving Day's annual game in Dallas could have huge NFC East ramifications after both the Cowboys and the Washington Football Team emerged from Week 11 victorious.
Quick hits: Sunday's biggest moments
- Saints coach Sean Payton trolled the Falcons with a post-win retweet of Roddy White's negative take on Taysom Hill.
- Raiders QB Derek Carr made a "James Harden" audible in Sunday night's game and people had jokes.
- Titans WR A.J. Brown scored one of the most remarkable touchdowns of this season.
- CeeDee Lamb had a ridiculous touchdown catch in the Cowboys' win over the Vikings.
- Ravens coach John Harbaugh got into a heated pregame shouting match with the Titans players.
- Joe Burrow's injury brings back bad memories for Cincinnati fans, as Burrow is the third No. 1 overall pick by the Bengals to suffer a major knee injury.
- Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster appeared to injure his ankle after stepping on a penalty flag.
- The familiar faces seen each week on "Fox NFL Kickoff" and "Fox NFL Sunday" did not appear on set at Fox's studios in Los Angeles due to health and safety concerns.
Key Week 11 story lines
- 32 things we learned: While it seems the Saints could be just fine with Taysom Hill at quarterback, Philip Rivers got the best of Aaron Rodgers for the second straight season.
- Week 11 winners and losers: The Chiefs' quest for a title repeat got a boost with Sunday night's win. The Dolphins, meanwhile, had a massive letdown in Denver.
- ‘We’re going to go 7-0’: Invigorated by their first win in 42 days, the Cowboys are within striking distance of the NFC East lead in a year many wrote off as a lost cause.
- Titans enforce their will as Ravens question their own: From A.J. Brown's tackle-breaking touchdown to Derrick Henry's game-clinching score, the Titans repeatedly powered past the Ravens, Mike Jones writes.
- Joe Burrow suffers knee injury: The Bengals' rookie QB says "see ya next year" after leaving Sunday's game on a cart.
- Why Bengals owed Joe Burrow a veteran backup: Before the season, the Bengals should have signed a dependable veteran QB, Paul Daugherty writes.
- Lions owner's promise rings hollow: Sheila Ford Hamp promised the Detroit Lions will look competitive under her watch. Every day Matt Patricia keeps his job, her promise rings hollow, Jeff Seidel writes.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick replaces Tua Tagovailoa: Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Tua was not injured and that Fitzpatrick gave the team the best chance to win.
Week 11 rundown
- Chiefs 35, Raiders 31: This thrilling win puts KC in firm control of the AFC West.
- Colts 34, Packers 31 (OT): Philip Rivers helped spark a second-half comeback that resulted in a key overtime win that kept Indy tied atop the AFC South with the Titans.
- Cowboys 31, Vikings 28: For the first time in 42 days, the Cowboys were victorious.
- Broncos 20, Dolphins 13: Tua Tagovailoa was benched in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick late in this momentum-halting defeat for Miami.
- Chargers 34, Jets 28: With their first 0-10 start in franchise history, the Jets now are within striking distance of the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns.
- Titans 30, Ravens 24 (OT): Derrick Henry and the Titans got the last laugh in a rematch of last season's divisional playoff game.
- Panthers 20, Lions 0: Heading into their national television Thanksgiving showcase, the Lions were shut out for the first time in 11 years.
- Browns 22, Eagles 17: At 7-3, the Browns have their best record through 10 games since 1994, when the team started 8-2 under coach Bill Belichick.
- Texans 27, Patriots 20: The Patriots' playoff hopes took a giant hit with this setback.
- Steelers 27, Jaguars 3: The Steelers steamrolled to 10-0 while dealing the Jaguars a ninth consecutive defeat.
- Saints 24, Falcons 9: In his first NFL start, Taysom Hill pushed the Saints to their seventh straight win.
- Football Team 20, Bengals 9: Washington kept pace in the NFC East race in a game in which Bengals QB Joe Burrow suffered a knee injury.
- Seahawks 28, Cardinals 21 (Thurs.): There were no late-game heroics this time for Arizona as Seattle prevailed in this NFC East showdown.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
For the past week, the No. 1 topic in fantasy football was Taysom Hill getting the nod as the Saints’ starting quarterback – while also being eligible in some leagues (ESPN in particular) as a tight end. Congratulations to fantasy managers who were able to take advantage as Hill outscored all other tight ends on Sunday. But the victory might be short-lived. ESPN is planning to re-evaluate eligibility Hill’s early this week … and he’ll likely be available only as a quarterback going forward.
Turning to the fantasy waiver wire, this might be the week to reacquire some former starters who’ve fallen out of favor.
Seahawks running back Chris Carson (foot) should be active for the first time in five weeks. However, Carlos Hyde was solid last Thursday after his own three-week absence – rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown. If you need immediate help target Hyde; if you’re looking for a potential playoff starter, go with Carson.
Patriots RB James White took over the receiving role after Rex Burkhead exited with an injury. He was targeted nine times, catching six for 64 yards. Even with Sony Michel (quad) likely to return to action for the first time since Week 3, he could split touches with Damien Harris. White has the best path to fantasy success.
The Patriots receiving corps is becoming almost as unpredictable as the backfield. For a couple weeks, Jakobi Meyers looked like the primary wideout. But it was Damiere Byrd’s turn at Houston. He caught six passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. That kind of production is intriguing.
Another interesting long-term addition is Green Bay’s Allen Lazard. The Packers’ No. 2 wide receiver to start the season, Lazard returned from core muscle surgery on Sunday with a pair of catches. He’ll have a much larger role in the offense going forward.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 11 wraps up with the scintillating showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Tuesday: USA TODAY Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 12.
Thursday: Week 12 kicks off with a tripleheader of Thanksgiving Day action. First, the Detroit Lions host the Houston Texans (12:30 p.m. ET, CBS). Then, the Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Football Team (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX) in a game with huge NFC East implications. The big day of football concludes with the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the rival Baltimore Ravens (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). Before the games, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 12 game.
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